Wednesday, December 01, 2010

California2

California here I come!
MsTioga drove extra far yesterday. 145 miles! Wow! That's a lot for MsTioga. Now we are pretty close to La Peñita RV Park where MsTioga will stay safe for the two weeks that Little Mavicita, Mr. HP and I are in California.

The three of us take off today at 4pm on United Aiirlines 878, a non-stop flight from Puerto Vallarta to San Francisco, California. Does it seem odd to you that we are returning to California so fast, when we were there only a few days ago? Hmmmm?

Ironic flight
We had made these flight reservations last August 28th. One that same day, we got the OK to come stay with Dave at his home while in California. It is ironic to return now, because Dave has passed away. I bought these plane tickets to visit especially with him, and my other family and friends too.

Mexican tourist regulations give me a permit to remain in Mexico for only six months. Before my permit expires, I must cross an international border and return to Mexico to get a new six month permit. The airplane tickets that I bought last August are non-refundable and the dates unchangeable.

I have things to do during the two weeks I am in California. There are two doctor's appointments. One to treat my enlarged prostate. And another to examine and decide how to treat a small hernia that has developed on my right side near my stomach.

Love to fly!
I love to fly. Actually, I love to do everything. I got this perspective of loving to do everything while I was attending my cancer support group meetings in 2002 and 2003. Every Wednesday, I would go to my Group meeting at the Wellness Center in Pleasant Hill, California. There were 21 of us group members when I began attending. We just called it "Group".

By the time 4-5 months had gone by, there were only 16 of us. Five had died. I went to four funerals. I went to the 5th funeral too, but could not enter. That funeral was in the City of Berkeley. The prior four funerals had wiped me out emotionally. I just could not go to another funeral. I just stood there outside, in front of the building, and wept.

Promise to God
One Wednesday after that last funeral, I was at Group. Opposite me was a window. While others in Group told of what happened to them during the prior week, I gazed out that window at the garden beyond.

In my head, I began talking to God. I made a promise to God, that if I ever got cured from this terrible cancer, that I would change everything in my life. I promised God that I would then rush at life and never look back. That I would find joy in everything that I did. That I would no longer be a critical, judgmental and complaining person anymore.

And amazingly, that is exactly what happened! On the same day that my cancer doctor told me that I was in remission [doctor's term for being cured of cancer], I drove to Manteca, California and bought MsTioga.